1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a recording apparatus such as a facsimile machine and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for transporting, cutting and supporting a recording medium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As is well known, recording apparatus such as facsimile machines and other printers frequently use a roll of recording paper as the printing or recording medium. A typical prior art recording apparatus is shown in FIG. 1. Recording paper is unrolled from roll 1, transported past thermal recording head 3 by platen roller 2 and information is recorded on the unrolled paper by recording head 3. After completion of the recording operation, the recording paper is further transported a predetermined distance by roller 2 and a cutting operation is performed by automatic cutting device 4. Guide plate 6 guides the recording paper from cutting device 4 past discharge space 7. Cut sheets of paper 1a then are stored in storage tray 5. The most convenient position for storage tray 5 is immediately adjacent cutting device 4 since the cut recorded paper can fall immediately into tray 5.
A recurring problem with recording devices arranged in the above manner is that the cut recorded paper does not always stack flatly in storage tray 5, which frequently causes jamming of the recording apparatus. This problem is particularly acute when roll 1 of the recording paper has been substantially depleted, and the diameter of the roll is small. As the diameter of roll 1 is reduced, the recording paper has a greater tendency to curl, i.e., it has a greater curved characteristic. When recording paper having a greater curved characteristic is cut and stacked on storage tray 5, it curls up as shown in FIG. 2. When cut paper 1a curls up, the rear end (or end adjacent the recording apparatus) of cut paper 1a moves forward away from the recording apparatus at a distance from cutting device 4. Additionally, before the recording paper is cut by cutting device 4, the front end of the recording paper which first passes through cutting device 4 before the cutting operation, moves downward immediately due to the strong curve characteristic of the paper itself. Additionally, the front end of the uncut recording paper exiting cutting device 4 frequently strikes the curled up paper 1a on tray 5 as further illustrated in FIG. 2. After the recording paper exiting cutting device 4 is cut, the interaction between the stacked curled paper and the curled paper exiting cutting device 4 sometimes causes the newly cut paper exiting cutting device 4 to move back into cutting device 4, thereby clogging up the paper flow and frequently resulting in repetitive cutting of the paper.
Many prior art devices attempt to solve the above problem by using feed rollers adjacent the cutting device to transport a cut section of recording paper to a paper tray located some distance from the cutting device. In this way, the cut paper cannot clog the cutting device. Although use of feed rollers helps eliminate the problem of paper clogging, several new and equally disturbing problems arise. Use of feed rollers beyond the cutting device requires that the tray and the cutting device be some distance apart which makes it difficult to manufacture a compact recording device. As the technology of recording devices has improved, the size of these devices has decreased. The use of feed rollers places an unwanted limitation on the size of the device. The use of feed rollers also increases the cost of production and increases the overall complexity of the device, which further necessitates additional maintenance and repair.